Bryce Young Named Heisman Trophy Finalist

The Heisman Trophy finalists for the 2021 college football season and the Alabama Crimson Tide will be represented by quarterback Bryce Young. Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett and Michigan's edge linebacker Aiden Hutchinson are the other three finalists.

Bryce Young regained the betting favor after his efforts in Alabama's 97-yard, game-tying drive against the Auburn Tigers. After throwing for an SEC Championship game record 412 yards with four total touchdowns against the Georgia Bulldogs, Young ended the season a -3000 favorite to win the award.

Young has thrown for 4,322 yards and 43 touchdowns on a 68% completion percentage. His yardage is tied for second-most in Alabama history while his touchdown mark ties Tua Tagovailoa in 2018.

Should Young take home the hardware, he would be the first Alabama quarterback to ever win the award and fourth player overall, all under Nick Saban. It would be the first time Alabama had back-to-back winners, the last team to do so was Oklahoma in 2017-2018.

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Though edge linebacker Will Anderson fell short of being a finalist, it's a victory for him to be mentioned in the conversation. No defensive player has won the award since Charles Woodson from Michigan won it in 1997. Since 2009, four defensive players were named as finalists: Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh in 2009, Notre Dame's Manti Te'o in 2012, Michigan's Jabrill Peppers in 2016, and Ohio State's Chase Young in 2019. Te'o was the only one to finish as a runner-up.

Anderson may have missed the cut, but his 2021 season was remarkable. He leads the nation in sacks with 15.5 and tackles for loss with 32.5. He's also second on the team in tackles with 92, a ridiculous number for an edge linebacker.

The Heisman Trophy will be awarded Saturday, December 11 at 7 p.m. CST on ESPN.